Nutritious vegan meals may be better for dogs’ health than meat-heavy foods, according to a new study.
The study examined the diet and health of more than 2,500 dogs over the course of 1 year.
The researchers tracked seven key health indicators in dogs, such as veterinary visits and common illnesses.
Experts found that almost half of dogs fed meat-heavy food had to be treated with medication for non-routine diseases, compared to one-third in vegan-fed dogs.
In the science journal Plos One published work Within the scope of the study, 2 thousand 536 dogs were examined. Slightly more than half of these dogs were given ordinary meat-based food, while one-third were given raw meat and the remainder were given vegan food.
The researchers said that the dogs who had the least health problems were those who were fed raw meat, but this was due to different reasons and studies on raw meat consumption should continue. Experts pointed out that dogs fed raw meat within the scope of the study were on average one year younger than other dogs.
Effects of meat consumption
The negative effects of meat consumption on the global climate crisis and the general health of people are widely known.
14 percent of greenhouse gases are caused by livestock. The largest share is in cattle.
Experts state that reducing consumption of meat and dairy products is the biggest and most effective change people can make in their lives to prevent the climate crisis.
In addition to humans, millions of pets also consume industrial meat around the world. In recent years, the number of pet owners who have decided to change their pets’ eating habits has been increasing.
According to the news of The Guardian newspaper, Professor Andrew Knight, who is the lead researcher and works at the University of Winchester in England, says that the study is the most comprehensive on this subject so far, stating that vegan meals with high nutritional value are the best option for the health and safety of dogs.
Knight also underlines that the biggest health problem seen in dogs is obesity, and that meat-based meals can have a major impact on this.